Coldstream Hills, Deer Farm Vineyard, Yarra Valley, 2013

Outstanding: rated in top Pinot Noirs outside Burgundy in April 2016 issue. Attractive redcurrant jelly nose, though a touch shy. Ripe attack, quite sweet but not jammy; intense thanks to fine acidity, has tension and spice, is pungent and vibrant. Long and very neatly balanced, with lovely grip. The Yarra Valley, which lies an hour’s drive east of Melbourne, has diverse terroirs and microclimates, making it capable of producing a wide range of varieties. That has always been the approach at Coldstream Hills, a hillside property established in 1985 by lawyer and wine writer James Halliday. In 1996 the estate was acquired by Southcorp, although Halliday stayed on in an advisory capacity. The property had grown to over 100ha , and the standard range of varietal and reserve wines was supplemented by a few single-vineyardwines, including this one. Coldstream produces three single-vineyard Pinots: Roslyn from Tasmania, Esplanade from the Lower Yarra, and Deer Farm from the cooler Upper Yarra. Deer Farm was planted in 1994 on north-facing clay-loam soils. Coldstream Hills, Deer Farm Vineyard 2013 was aged for nine months in 38% new French oak.